"This is the beginning of an important phase of the project", said Tucker Ferguson, Beaumont District Engineer. "Our goal is to shift traffic as safely and quickly as possible with the least amount of inconvenience to drivers."

According to the department, Sunday night if weather is permitting, bridge crews will close one westbound lane to move the concrete barrier. Work is expected to be completed by early Monday morning.

Wednesday night workers will have alternating westbound lane closures to continue setting the concrete barrier, followed by a Thursday night eastbound closure for more barrier work, the department states in a release.

Friday night and into the weekend the contractor will complete the barrier work, restriping the westbound bridge to handle eastbound traffic and shift traffic to the westbound bridge.

Workers will also temporarily close the Interstate 10 eastbound entrance ramp from downtown to construct a temporary detour.

The department said they are expecting to have the switch to the westbound bridge and the ramp completed by March 24.

Once completed, the westbound bridge will handle two lanes of westbound traffic and two lanes of eastbound traffic.

The work is part of the state's $59 million project to build a new I-10 crossing at the Neches River. The project contractor, Williams Brothers, expects to be complete in mid-2015.